Federal government spends record amount on PR consultants
Never before have so many in-house public relations professionals worked to polish the federal government’s image. Last year, 309 full-time positions in Bern were dedicated to communications for federal departments and agencies. That is one-third more staff than in 2007.
According to the Handelszeitung, the costs for image polishers also reached a record high last year: according to the 2015 annual accounts, a record sum of 81.2 million francs was spent on communication work - an increase of 17 percent compared to 2007. Federal Councillor Alain Berset's Ministry of the Interior spent the most, namely CHF 14.2 million. This is followed by the DDPS (13.2 million) and the Uvek (11.6 million). The growth in the infrastructure department is striking: PR expenditure for the environment, transport, energy and communication rose by almost 17 percent. External consultants are increasingly being called in to cultivate the image. These are billed under the expenditure item "Consulting and contract research". Internal sources speak of 17.2 million that flowed into the PR consultants' coffers in 2015. Various communications agencies work on behalf of federal agencies, including Farner, Burson-Marsteller, Furrer Hugi, Reflecta and Hirzel Neef Schmid. Their hourly rates for consultations range from 250 to 300 francs.
